


Passing Notes

by Maizzy



Series: DA Ficswap Oneshots [3]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Footsie, Horrible Love Poems, The Broma Brothers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-14
Updated: 2015-07-14
Packaged: 2018-04-09 07:10:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4338845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maizzy/pseuds/Maizzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dirty Dwarven love poems are better when shared.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Passing Notes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cyran9](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyran9/gifts).



> Written for the [DA Fic Swap](http://daficswap.tumblr.com/) on tumblr, starring [Cyran9's](http://cyran9.tumblr.com/) Inquisitor, Ma'alin!

You have the strangest look on your face.

\- M

 

Ma’alin leaned back in her chair, watching as Solas read her note. After his eyes had finished skimming he raised a brow before grabbing for his own ink well and quill. With a flourish of the pen and a small smile, the piece of parchment came skidding back across the spacious library desk to her waiting hand. 

 

Would it not be easier to simply speak?

\- S. 

 

A grin tugged at the corner of her mouth and she pointedly glanced around at the other, deeply focused, occupants of their table. Dorian was slouched forward in his chair, elbows propped on the table, one hand holding his chin while the other flipped the pages of a massive book on Tevinter noble bloodlines. Dagna, on the other hand, was curled up in her chair, legs wrapped over one arm with her back leaning against the other and a large book on lyrium cultivation propped against her thighs. Ma’alin slid her gaze back to Solas and gave a theatrical little shrug before picking up her quill again. Clearly, it would be rude to interrupt the quiet hush of the library. It was an unspoken rule of group study time - right up there with no fighting, no food and no footsie. Luckily, no one was keeping too close a watch on that last rule, though. 

Ma’alin started writing. 

 

What is it about

 

She glanced at the book held in his graceful hands, taking in the title. A small huff of surprise and amusement burst out of her before she had a chance to think better of it. Dorian’s chin lifted from where it sat on his palm, unfocused eyes sharpening and searching around for the first noise to happen in the library in over an hour, aside from the squawking of the birds above. Ma’alin pressed her lips together and turned her attention back to the note. 

 

~~ What is it about ~~

Stoney Hearts Club: A Compendium of Classic Dwarven Love Poems??

\- M

 

She put extra emphasis under the last three words and accompanying punctuation before sending the paper sailing back across the table to Solas. He primly shut his book, neatly laying it on the table before flipping the folded paper open. Soon the note was back in her hands.

 

Perhaps now you will not find the look on my face so surprising. Although there are some lines that I find most intriguing.

\- S

 

How did you even come to be reading that?!

\- M

 

Does one need a reason to take a moment to appreciate the beauty others find in the world?

\- S

 

Ma’alin looked across the table at Solas after reading that last line of his writing. Sure enough, he was practically grinning at her skeptical raise of a brow. Hastily she wrote:

 

I see. And what do the members of the Stoney Hearts Club find beautiful?

\- M

 

_The Nug runs through shit_

_As casteless as I, and yet_

_None scorn its small steps_

_\- S_

 

I thought these were supposed to be love poems?

-M

 

Solas snorted as he scribbled his next words.

 

You would not enjoy the follow up to that particular haiku. This is perhaps a better example of what to expect should you read this book: 

_Blessed though the stone may be,_

_She has never been as sweet to me_

_As the night spent rutting with_

_A Beautiful woman straight out of myth._

 

_I started low between her legs_

_Where hair and sweetness solely lay_

_But imagine my surprise_

_When my head did rise_

_To find a beard as thick as hay_

 

_They say she comes up from the deep roads_

_Helping men relieve their loads_

_But by and far the most memorable thing to me,_

_Were the swirling curls she let fly free_

_Around the heft and swoop of feminine jaw_

_That magnificent facial hair surrounded her maw_

 

It generally devolves from there.

\- S

 

What was that?

-M

 

That, Vhenan, was the work of Barnabas Gult. Care for another?

\- S

 

Ma’alin held her head in her hands for a moment, trying to keep her amusement hidden. She brushed Solas’ leg with her bare foot and he gently caught it between his legs, smirking over at her all the while. Her off-hand still covering her mouth to help keep quiet, she quickly scrawled:

 

Oh absolutely.

-M

 

This one is entitled ‘Felsi’, cowritten by the Broma Brothers 

_Oh Red Rose of Calenhad, let your roots dig deep into the hot soil of Thedas. Let our scorching sun and sheeting rain turn your supple beauty into strength. For if our love is to survive, it must grow thorns to sting the maw of passing druffalo that would uproot it!”_

_“Red Rose of Calenhad, you have blossomed in a shack of wood and dirt. But beauty is not all that I seek. You are as alone as I above the stone, and yet here we are, still surrounded by ale and stink. It is a sign, my love, leave me not here with only my drink._

_“Red Rose of Calenhad, leave eternity unembraced and grapple in the glorious struggle that is us, here and now! I am pantsless and full to the brim, not with desperation, but with heart, and I stand here, humble and drunk, to offer you a tumble. Come to me, Red Rose of Calenhad. Let our two hearts beat as one as our lust is sated.”_

_-S_

 

A whoop of laughter tore out of Ma’alin before she could stifle it. Birds squawked their alarm from the rookery above and their table mates both nearly fell out of their seats. 

“WHAT is so funny?” Dorian groused once he had righted himself. 

Ma’alin made a grab for the paper where she had dropped it down on the table, but Dorian’s palm slammed over it before her fingers could find purchase. He looked half-crazed, added to by the hazy, unfocused look in his eyes from squinting at pages for hours. His mustache being pushed out of shape from when he had been resting his head on his hand only heightened the effect. 

They locked eyes as he dragged the note, now covered in handwriting, over to his side of the table. 

“Oh for- really? Passing notes? Are we suddenly back in the circle trying to outsmart the woefully dull teacher? Why was I not informed?”

“Perhaps because I barely understand that reference?” Ma’alin asked with a grin.

Dorian’s scowl deepened and he unfolded the note.

“ _I started low between her legs, Where hair and sweetness solely lay…_ What _is_ this steaming pile of-“

“OH!” Dagna gasped. “You’re reading Barnabas Gult? He’s my favorite. I used to sneak into the cellar so I could read some of the dirtier bits.”

Solas raised a brow as he caught Ma’alin’s eye and she fought once again to restrain a laugh. Solas handed over the book he had been transcribing to Dagna without a word and she squealed in delight, clutching it to her chest. 

“I suppose now I don’t even have to hide to get away with reading the good parts.”

“No, I suppose you don’t,” Ma’alin agreed, finally letting the smile free. 

“On that rather alarming note, study session over. I can’t focus on fact-finding about our adversary with that drivel burned into my mind.”

He slammed his book closed and they all started to tuck papers and books into their respective bags. Just as Ma’alin was finishing up, another folded piece of paper came skittering to a stop in front of where her book lay. 

 

Have you ever read any Elvhen poetry?

-S

 

She grinned, glancing up at where Solas stood looking at her with a devilish sort of fire in his eyes. 

 

Not a word of it.

-M

 

Well then, perhaps I should recite some for you. In the interests of scholarly pursuits, of course. It is a far cry better than what our friends in the Stoney Hearts Club have to say.

-S

 

I think I’d enjoy that.

xxx

-M

 

**Author's Note:**

> Head cannon that Zevran helps Oghren write poetry for Felsi, but is every bit as terrible as Oghen himself is - just with a better vocabulary.
> 
> Shout out to Charr and Ereba on the Citadel! May that love poem be forever memorialized (hopefully at least one person will get this reference :D)
> 
> Also, thank you [Salesman](http://archiveofourown.org/users/salesman/pseuds/salesman) for reading this through for me. You da best.


End file.
